Patent GB-1152941-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Central BUffer Couplings for Rail Vehicles
Inventor: RICHTER BERND
IPC: B61G3/18
Filed: 1966-07-20
Abstract: 1,152,941. Railway vehicle automatic couplers. GERMANY, MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT. 20 July, 1966, No. 32593/66. Heading B7T. A coupler head 50 comprises a portion 53, Figs. 5, 6, which divides the head into a chamber for a lock 1 and a lifting chamber 52, and a reinforcement 55 providing a vertical thrust surface 56, a support surface 57 and a stop base 58. The partition 53 contains a horizontal bolt 54 to mount a lock support 32, Fig. 4, whilst a slot 59 extends from the central longitudinal plane to the reinforcement 55, abutment 61 in the top of the head limits movement of the lock 1, Fig. 1, pivotably mounted on a pin 49, and an aperture 64 is provided for an indicator 18, Fig. 2 (not shown), pivotably mounted on the pin 13 of the lock 1. A locking or release lever 21, Fig. 3, has a cam 29 provided with two surfaces 30, 31 and is mounted by its bore 28 on the pin 13. A lifting device 44, Fig. 12, is also provided and is mounted by its bore 47 on the pin 49. A spring 48 around pin 49 (see also Fig. 9, not shown) abuts the head and an edge 10 of the lock 1 causing the lock to move more rapidly into locking position when so actuated. In Figs. 5 and 6, the coupler and lock 1 are shown in their " pre-set " or ready for coupling position and the lock rests by its edge 2 on the head 50. In this position, the locking or release lever 21, pivotally mounted on the lock pin 13, rests its cam surface 31 on the head so that the thrust surface 23 on lever 21 is spaced from the surface 15 in the recess 14 of the lock, and the indicator 18 rests on the edge of the hole 64. The lock support 32 is pivotably mounted by its slot 40 on the support bolt 54 and rests by its lower left-hand corner edge 43a the surface 57 of reinforcement 55, the feeler portion 34 being extended into the jaw pocket. In operation, when two heads meet for coupling, the buffing jaw of each head will press on and pivot back the lock 1 on the other head and then pivot back the parts 34, 32 on the bolt 54 to the intermediate Fig. 7 position (not shown). This action moves out the indicator 18 and the release lever 21 pivoted on the pin 13 falls into the Fig. 7 position (not shown) where the surfaces 15 on the lock 1 and 23 on lever 21 abut. In this Fig. 7 intermediate position the upper edge 3 of the lock 1 rests in the head groove 62 and the edge 35 of 32 abuts surface 56, the surface 17 of the lock 1 abuts surface 39 of the support 32 while the part 25 of the lever 21 extends over the part 36 on the lock support 32. As the coupling progresses the buffing jaw finally fully enters the pocket and releases the lock but continues to hold back the parts 32 and 34. The lock 1 then falls forwardly under gravity and the spring 48, the indicator moves back into the head 50 and the convex part 25 of the lever 21 slides over the part 36 on 32 and finally rests with its edge 27 on the surface 38 of the part 36, Fig. 5, with the support 32 in the chain line position. When the coupling is released from the Fig. 5 position with the lock support 32 shown chain dotted, by a force applied in a manner not shown to a bolt 24 on the release lever 21, Fig. 3, the lever 21 pivots on the pin 13 and lifts the part 25 from the position where it rests on 36 to a position where it can pass over the part 36. As the lever 21 pivots, the part 22 will abut the stop 16 on lock 1 and swing the lock into the head. During this movement the cam 29 will abut cam 41 on support 32 and will lift it. After the surface 30 of the cam 29 has been moved past the cam 41 the support 32 may again drop, in which process the surface 42 on the rear side of the cam 41 contacts the surface 30 on lever 21 and holds the lock in the release position, Fig. 9 (not shown). If the buffing jaw is then removed the lock 1 and the support 32 will return under gravity. The lifting device 44, Figs. 10, 11 (not shown), may be operated by pushing on a finger 45 to nullify any accidental movement of the lock gear to the release position when the heads are coupled. If during shunting it is desirable to prevent coupling up, then the operating device (not shown) must exert a constant force on the bolt 24 to keep the gear in the uncoupled position, Fig. 8 (not shown).